My date with a Prinse!

No I have not spelt it wrong, I did have a date with a Prinse, well kind of, it was actually the Prinsendam which is one of the  Holland America Lines ships. I have to say I loved this ship, yes she is an old lady by today’s modern standards but she is an elegant and classy lady.

Prinsendam began life as the Royal Viking Sun in 1988 before being purchased by Cunard in 1994 and operated as Seabourn Sun. Holland America Line took delivery of the ship from Seabourn on 23rd April 2002 and she was renamed ms Prinsendam II.

At just 38000 tons and a maximum capacity of 835 passengers the Prinsendam is the David to the Goliaths of the cruising world. She has sleek lines that take you to a bygone age of Ocean Liner cruising.

As the ship was mid cruise we were unable to see any staterooms but were advised that all staterooms have deluxe bathrobes, Sealy Euro-top mattresses and cotton bed linens, salon quality hairdryers, flat panel TV’s & DVD players, complimentary basket of fresh fruit and ice service twice daily.

Our escort for the day was the ships loyalty manager and she explained that as the ship was smaller she did lots of longer exotic voyages due to her ability to manoeuvre in and out of smaller ports and the main reason people cruised with her was for the destinations. Many cruises were for 30 days and longer. the ship also has a high repeat business factor with many people booking on board.

We began our tour at the top of the ship in the Crows Nest which has floor to ceiling windows and a spectacular 180 degree view. evenings in here consist of a piano bar style entertainment.

Lido deck is where the majority of the suites are and these are served by the Neptune Lounge which is a private concierge lounge. This is also the deck where the Lido Pool and Bar and Lido restaurant is located. In the evening a section of the Lido is turned into “Canaletto”, an informal Italian eatery.

The main show-lounge on board seats 521 and offers two nightly shows and close by is the Explorers Lounge which offers after dinner music.

The main dining room is “La Fontaine” where you can choose from the more traditional set dining times, or flexible “as you wish” dining. Like most lines these days there is also a speciality dining room called “Pinnacle Grill”.  This venue charges just $29 per person for a Northwest style cuisine served in elegant surroundings on Bvlgari china, Reidel stemware and Frette linens. As much as I despise having to pay extra for things if I was on board I would definitely treat myself to a couple of nights in here.

To sum everything up if you are looking for an all singing all dancing ship with rock climbing walls and ice skating rinks then this is not the ship for you. If on the other hand you are looking for new adventures and exploring then the Prinsendam would be right up your street however if you want to book don’t delay as she sells fast.

Full photos of the day can be found at: